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Immunisation

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According to UNICEF, immunisation is one of the most successful and cost-effective public health interventions to protect children, adults and the whole population against many life-threatening diseases.[1]

"Immunisation describes the whole process of delivery of a vaccine and the immunity it generates in an individual and population. A vaccine is a special form of a disease-causing agent (e.g., virus or bacteria) that has been developed to protect against that disease."[2]

Immunisation also has the potential to boost a country's growth. Many analyses weighing the costs versus the benefits of vaccination have shown positive economic impact. Furthermore, the infrastructure, management and acceptability of immunization programmes offer a platform to deliver other integrated health and nutrition interventions.[3]

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in 2008, a record high number of children werden immunised with vaccines against life-threatening diseases, reaching 82% of young children (106 million) and averting more than 2.1 million deaths along with countless episodes of illness and disability annually. Significant gains have been achieved in recent years, but some 23.5 million children (almost 20% of children born each year) are not immunized, exposing them to disabilities or premature death. Among immunized children, some 70% live in the 10 countries with the largest populations--and the weakest immunization structures in the world.[5]

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